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Sunday, November 20, 2016

Mike Pence, Anxiety, and Donald Trump's Apology Demands

Donald Trump and his supporters are
hot about what happened to vice-president elect Mike Pence as he
attended a performance of the hit musical “Hamilton”
last Friday (November 18, 2016). Pence attended the show with his
daughter, Charlotte, as well as his nieces and nephew, according to
one of his aides.

This, in short, is what I understand
happened at the theater.

As he took his seat in New York’s
Richard Rogers Theater, Pence met a smattering of boos. He then sat
through the performance. When the show was over and he headed for the
exits, the cast was not quite finished.

Brandon Victor Dixon, the actor who
played Aaron Burr, read a statement the cast members had drafted
together. Dixon said ...

"I see you walking out but I hope you will hear us.
Nothing to boo here, ladies and gentlemen, there's nothing to boo
here ... We're all sharing a story of love. We welcome you, and we
truly thank you for joining us here at 'Hamilton: An American
Musical' -- we really do. "We, sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed
and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our
planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our
inalienable rights, sir. But we truly hope this show has inspired you
to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us. All of
us.

"We truly thank you for
sharing this show, this wonderful American story told by a diverse
group of men and women of different colors, creeds, and
orientations."

(Phillip Rucker. “Trump and Pence vs. the cast of ‘Hamilton’: A collision of two Americas.” The Washington Post. November 20, 2016.)

So, by Saturday morning, an outraged
Trump, who is determined to be the master of executive twitters,
responded to the kerfuffle with this tweet …

“Our wonderful future V.P. Mike
Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton,
cameras blazing.This should not happen!”

To which Dixon responded …

“Donald Trump, the conversation
is not harassment sir. And I appreciate Mike Pence for stopping to
listen.”

And “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel
Miranda then tweeted to express his support of Dixon and the cast
saying …

“Proud of Hamilton Musical.
Proud of Brandon V. Dixon for leading with love. And proud to
remind you that ALL are welcome at the theater.”

This response elicited this tweet from
Trump ...

“The Theater must always be a
safe and special place. The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night
to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize!”

And, finally, Trump took to Twitter
Sunday morning proclaiming ...

“The cast and producers of Hamilton, which I
hear is highly overrated, should immediately apologize to Mike Pence
for their terrible behavior.”

So What?

Whether you see the original statement
by Dixon as an inappropriate and offensive gesture to a paying
customer, as a bold statement of trepidation after the most
contentious election in modern history, or as theatrical payback
considering the past words and actions of both Trump and Pence, it is
much ado about nothing.

Oh, I understand how hardcore
Trump/Pence supporters view these comments as unfair and as an
affront to their elected offices. I get that. However, as the
Washinton Post's Rucker reminds us, “'Hamilton' is a musical
that reimagines the revolutionary period with multiracial actors
playing the statesmen and the contributions of immigrants central to
the story.” For obvious reasons, that spells trouble to the
incoming administration. And, for obvious reasons, the cast feels a
special obligation to plead to Mike Pence.

Pence drew national criticism in March
2015 for signing a “religious freedom” law that would have
allowed businesses to refuse services to lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender people. Pence has spoken in opposition to gay marriage.
He said gay couples signaled “societal collapse.” He opposed the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act that prohibits discrimination
against LGBT people in the workplace, saying the law “wages war on
freedom and religion in the workplace.” And, Pence rejected the
Obama administration directive on transgender bathrooms.
Arguably, he will be the most openly anti-LGBT Vice-President in
history.

Rucker also acknowledges that it would
behoove us to remember that “although Trump won a clear majority in
the Electoral College, he garnered just 47 percent of the popular
vote – well over 1 million votes short of Clinton, with millions of
votes still to be counted in primarily liberal states.”

Who's Sorry?

Should Dixon apologize? Reread his
comments and weigh any affront. I see only the words “alarmed and
anxious that your new administration will not protect us” as being
semi-confrontational – words that I have heard time and again
expressing discomposure about the upcoming Trump presidency. In fact,
these are the same sentiments I have heard over and over from those
in Trump's his own party – Paul Ryan, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, and
Marco Rubio to name just a few.

Donald Trump, the man who never
apologizes, is now demanding – on Twitter? – an apology from a
cast member of a musical. Oh, the irony is damn near laughable.
Actually, this statement from the cast may be the most cordial
address Pence and Trump will hear in the next four years. If Donald
Trump believes this was “terrible behavior” and the theater
should be a safe-zone for his administration against the expression
of legitimate concerns, he is beginning a desperate battle with those
who treasure the First Amendment rights of expression.

I hope you don't mind if I recap. This whole controversy can be
digested like this:

Mike Pence attends the theater. An actor in the musical
addresses him after the performance. Donald Trump does not like the
perceive affront. Tweet, twitter, tweet, tweet.

And, to put a cap on the comments and the proposed apology, Vice
President-elect Mike Pence, himself, said Sunday (November 20) he
"wasn't offended" after the cast of "Hamilton"
delivered that personal message to him following the show Friday
night.

"I know this is a very disappointing time for people
that did not see their candidate win in this national election. I
know that this is a very anxious time for some people," Pence
said on 'Fox News Sunday.'

"And I just want to reassure people that what
President-elect Donald Trump said on election night he absolutely
meant from the bottom of his heart - he is preparing to be the
president of all of the people of the United States of America."

Yet, it is evident the firestorm over the incident will continue
to burn anyone with a thin skin. The “who said what” controversy
is simply what it is – opinions based on perceptions formed long
before the first curtain opened Friday night. The country remains
divided and no amount of “suck it up, buttercup” attacks about
accepting the outcome of the presidential election is going to unify
instantly the American public.

One thing I do know is that Donald Trump may not refer to the
American Revolution as the “great America” to which he desires so
strongly to “return” – at least in its musical theater
portrayal anyway.

“The republican principle demands
that the deliberate sense ofthe community should govern the
conduct of those to whom theyintrust the management of their
affairs; but it does not requirean unqualified complaisance to
every sudden breeze of passionor to every transient impulse which
the people may receive fromthe arts of men, who flatter their
prejudices to betray theirinterests.”